Soria trying to make Comerica Park feel like home

Reliever Joakim Soria smiles as he talks to reporters during a media availability at the Rangers Fan Fest in 2013. Soria was traded from the Rangers to the Detroit Tigers last week.
LM OTERO — The Associated Press file photo

detroit >> Joakim Soria has pitched in 360 career games over seven seasons, but no road stadium has he taken the mound more often than his 19 appearances at Comerica Park.

“It’s a little different, because you’re to (used to) going to the other side” of the clubhouse, Soria said before Tuesday’s game, his first in a Tigers uniform after last week’s trade. “It’s great. You always seen a full stadium here, supporting their team. It’s good people, it’s good fans. ... When you go into a ballpark, and you see the stands full, you know they’re excited about baseball.”

As excited as those fans were to get Soria, so was manager Brad Ausmus, who got a new late-inning piece to the bullpen puzzle.

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First impressions?

“He’s taller than I thought,” Ausmus deadpanned. “I talked to him a couple times. We haven’t sat down and had dinner together or anything like that. He seems to fit right in, he seems to want to help the team in any way he can. He blends right in with the rest of the guys, good group of guys, he blends right in.”

Where does he fit in the bullpen?

“He adds a legitimate back-end-of-the-bullpen arm,” Ausmus said. “He’s pitched in the seventh, he’s pitched in the eighth, he’s been a closer. By all accounts, he has ice-water in his veins, doesn’t get too concerned with the game situation in front of him, just keeps going after the hitter and getting outs.

“He doesn’t get rattled.”

And it shouldn’t take long for Soria to feel right at home at Comerica.

“This is part of baseball. You get traded, and now this my new family. We have to get used to it as quickly as we can,” Soria said.

Lineup switches

Brad Ausmus went with a less conventional batting order for Tuesday’s game, batting Miguel Cabrera in the cleanup spot for just the fifth time this season. Rajai Davis moved up into the second spot, while Ian Kinsler hit in Cabrera’s normal third slot.

The previous four times, it was a matter of trying to get Davis up in the order, and on the basepaths ahead of Cabrera and Victor Martinez.

“It has to do more with how Raj is doing against (Jose) Quintana, more of a matchup thing,” Ausmus said of Davis, who coming in was 8-for-20 vs. the White Sox starter, with two doubles and a home run.

Cabrera, who was sitting near Ausmus’ media scrum in the Tigers dugout, agreed with the move, even if it was just to make a joke at his own expense.

“Miggy’s only hitting .309. You gotta move the lineup. You gotta do something because he doesn’t do anything. So you gotta move different lineups so we can score runs, guys,” Cabrera interjected.

And the thought of more runners on base in front of him?

“Yes, please,” Cabrera said.

The lineup had more changes before the game started, though, when Nick Castellanos had to be scratched late. He was struck by a grounder in batting practice, leaving a contusion on his right index finger.

Cabrera slid back over to third base, while J.D. Martinez slid into the lineup and hit in the seventh spot.

Jack White set to toss first pitch

In the day off between playing a pair of concerts in his hometown, Detroit native Jack White was scheduled to throw out the first pitch before Tuesday’s game, but according to reports, was rebuffed in a request to have Miguel Cabrera stand in the batter’s box when he did so.

“I don’t really have a feeling either way on it,” manager Brad Ausmus said of the request.

“Depends on how hard he’s going to throw the ball. If he throws 95 (mph), then I don’t want Miggy standing there, but we might want to sign him.”

Instead, White threw his pitch to Santa Claus, as part of the team’s ‘Christmas in July’ theme night.

It took a minute for Ausmus to even register who the celebrity hurler was, when asked before the game.

“Oh, White Stripes? ... I only know one song by the White Stripes, ‘Seven Nation Army,’” Ausmus said, tongue-in-cheek calling himself a “big fan. I do have that song on my iPhone.”